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450
Anglo-Saxon
Tribes such as the Angles and the Saxons start flooding in England. Their vocabulary was much more useful, people start using it.
Four of our days of the week were named in honour of Anglo-Saxon gods (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday). -
793
The Vikings
The Vikings arrived and contributed around 2,000 words to the English language. -
1066
The Norman Conquest
William the Conqueror invaded England, introducing new concepts from across the English Channel, such as the French language. French became the language of official business, while Latin continued to be used in church. English absorbed approximately 10,000 new words from the Normans -
1453
English as the only language
After 100 years of war, the British army defeated the French army, and English became the sole language in England. -
Shakespeare
About 2000 new words were invented by the English writer William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616). -
The King James Bible
The king made a new translation of the Bible that everyone could be able to understand. It was full of metaphors, creating the type of English that is spoken today around the world. -
The English of Science
Scientists created the Royal Society, where they initially spoke in Latin. However, they soon realized that everyone there spoke English, which they found to be a more convenient means of communication. As a result, they began expanding the English vocabulary by creating new words to express scientific concepts, parts of the body, and other ideas. -
English and Empire
English was already the language of scientists, the Bible, and Shakespeare. When the British decided to travel in search of gold in new lands, they adopted new words from the Caribbean, Canada, India, Africa, and Australia. -
The age of the Dictionary
As English expanded in all directions, people realized that words were being spelled differently. This led to the invention of dictionaries to establish standards and control over words. The most well-known and widely used English dictionary, the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), began its standardization process in 1857. The first complete edition of the OED was published in installments over several decades, completing in 1928. -
American English
American English developed primarily through British colonization of North America in the 17th century. British introduced their dialect of English, which evolved separately from British English. The isolation of colonists from England allowed for influence from Native American languages initially, and later from European immigrant languages, shaping the evolution of English in America. Over time, it has innovated linguistically to reflect the social, cultural, and political dynamics of America. -
Internet English
In 1991, the first email was sent to share information, which led to shorter conversations and the use of abbreviations in daily messages. Some words even transitioned into spoken language. -
Global English
English is the most spoken language in the world. Currently, approximately 1.5 billion people speak English, with the first quarter being native speakers and the remainder speaking it as a second language or through a mixture of influences from other countries.